1. Field of Invention
The presently disclosed and claimed invention relates to a user personalized, wearable device that displays time along with other content in a highly customizable manner. Device personalization by the user may include 1) The ability of the user to set the device to display content, including the time, based on user-defined inputs such as time-of-day, day-of-the-year, (individual) location, special events, the seasons, and holidays; 2) The ability to display in full color various media including audio, video, animation, text, and still photographs and images; 3) The ability of the user to create and utilize his own content for displaying time; 4) Using new and unique symbolic and other representations of time; 5) Software that allows the user to select, design and change the content displayed on the device, including how the time is interlaced with the content; 6) The ability to display content not directly related to time when the user selects this option; 7) The ability to connect to a database where a supply of new content is stored; and 8) the ability to adjust all of the administrative and system settings of the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Watches today, utilizing gray-scale LCD technologies, are capable of displaying basic time information such as time of day, date, day, elapsed time, and alarms. However, nothing exists today that permits users to define exactly how they would like their watches to look, and to change that look whenever they would like. Watches currently do not provide the flexibility to change the face of the watch to new designs and colors that can coordinate with a wardrobe or a particular emotion or desire, and to do so in either a pre-established or on-demand manner.
In prior art, one application discusses the application of a color blender, whereby 2 colors are animated or combined to display the time (U.S. Pat. Appl. 2003/0214885, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference). A second application involves changing the watch bezel to install new program elements (U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,084, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference). A third approach discusses downloading images to an ornament or necklace, without regard to the specifics related to the telling of time and to the prior programmability of the display sequences (U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2004/0202052, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference). It references the device as something cheap, basically composed only of memory, display, and power supply (and is therefore devoid of more sophisticated processing capabilities and the ability to display real video). Several other methods apply an analog, mechanical movement super-imposed over either a simple color-changing watch face or other simple changing patterns (such as in U.S. Pat. Appl. 2003/0165086 and U.S. Pat. Appl. 2004/0145971, the entire contents of both of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference).